


happy endings, for those are few and far between

by KicktheMatt



Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Prompt!, First Kiss, Flirting Under Fire, Fluff, M/M, also norion anon i'd die for you for showing me this ship, like i got butterflies writing it my mans, yeah this shit is actually really cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-22 13:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21303026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KicktheMatt/pseuds/KicktheMatt
Summary: norwin has troubles writing endings. perhaps orion can help.warnings: tooth rotting fluff
Relationships: Norwin/Orion (Dragalia Lost)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	happy endings, for those are few and far between

The tapping of a pen on the edge of the table rang into the library, bouncing off the shelves and walls in the spacious room. Around Norwin were bunched up, crumpled sheets of parchment, with ink splotches and splashes and scratches across them; all the failed drafts of this page he tried to write piled up around him.

A frustrated hand tore through his hair. “No, no..” He mumbled, tapping the pen some more. His head fell forward onto his arm as he groaned. Writing was hard, for the Goddess’s sake. It was moments like these where Norwin began to question his career path.

The candlelight flickered, sending warped shadows up and over the bookshelves, casting lights upon the parchments and the tapping pen. Between the tapping came the click of boots, echoing along the lacquered wooden floor with a flair that Norwin had come to recognize easily-- the bodyguard Orion, who Norwin had come to recognize as a friend. Comrade. Subject of adoration? No, not that...friend. Norwin felt himself nod as he thought. Yes, merely a friend.

“What’s got you out so late?” Orion asked, revealing himself from the darkness. Norwin’s ear twitched in his direction, as to listen without turning his body.

He sighed, dramatically. “Climaxes, falling actions, denouements. All things accounted for, to bring the beginning of the end.”

The escort circled the table Norwin sat at, sitting in a chair across from him. “Sounds absolutely marvelous. What has you stuck, my friend?” He reached for the parchment, clutched in Norwin’s hand.

Normally, Norwin would pull away, but he allowed the paper to slip through his fingers, into Orion’s grasp. 

Orion cleared his throat, before straightening out the paper to read from it. “‘The hero was cornered, trapped against the wall as the dragon inched closer and closer, the flames of its breath whipping across it’s lips as it readied to end the hero’s life for good--’. How awfully depressing, Norwin.”

“How typical of me,” He quipped in return. “You can already assume what my ending was going to be--”

“That the hero dies a fiery death, of course--”

“--Precisely. I can’t help but feel that, perhaps, there is another ending in sight, yet the concept simply won’t come to mind.”

Orion smiled. “Perhaps you need nothing more than a fresh perspective, my friend. How about, oh… ‘Unbeknownst to the hero, the lord he was protecting was creeping upon the fearsome dragon, the fallen sword of the hero in hand, ready to protect his beloved!’ Eh? How does that sound?”

Norwin rolled his eyes. “Ah, so the lord is now in love with the hero,” He combatted, the edges of his tone softened with jest. 

“Ah, but what else? Romance always gives the story a certain _spice_ it may need.”

“The book’s for _children_, Orion.”

“And they’re never too young to know what love is!”

Norwin shook his head, unable to suppress the small giggle that escaped him. “Well, in that case, then…” He thought for a moment, before continuing. “‘The dragon turned its head, hearing the clank of the lord struggling with the sword upon the ground. Its focus was now on the lord, the hero ultimately unable to help him. The flames grew hotter, and hotter, about the engulf the lord…’” He stopped, tapping the pen to his bottom lip, looking at Orion with the look of challenge.

This was fun, Norwin would admit. He would give the natural ending to Orion’s attempts at redirection. It sure posed a challenge, but every writer would need to deal with a challenge or two when creating. For what was writing if it could be churned out like nothing?

Orion leaned forward, elbows on the table, a look of pure intensity in his eyes. Norwin’s challenge had been accepted. “‘The hero sprang into action, leaping into the air, and smashing his shield upon the dragon’s head! ‘You will not harm my beloved!’ He cried, as the dragon shook its head to recover from the sudden blow’.”

“‘My love!’ The lord responded, unaware of the reciprocated feelings of the hero,’” Norwin leaned closer in response, his eyes locked with Orion’s with the same vigorous zeal. “‘The lord struggled to lift the heavy sword again, attempting to hand it to the hero--’”

“--‘The hero grasped the sword, and with all of his might, swung it towards the dragon’--”

“--‘Alas! The swing missed--’”

“--‘Not a problem, for he swung again, making contact with the dragon’s scales!’--”

They had begun leaning closer and closer on the table, their battle of prose resulting in both of them standing, so close, as the tips of their noses hardly apart.

“‘And the dragon cried out in pain,’” Norwin said, his zealous smile simmering down into a fond grin. “‘The sword lodged in its side had dealt the killing blow’.”

Orion leaned forward, ever so slightly, his forehead pressed against Norwin’s. “‘The lord ran into the arms of his savior, fervently checking for his well being.’”

“‘Are you alright?’ The lord asked, looking for reassurance after the terrifying experience’,” Norwin’s eyes had closed, leaning into Orion, where they stood.

“‘With you at my side, everything will always be alright.’ And with that, they shared a’--” Orion was cut off, by a pair of lips pressing against his.

Norwin knew not where the courage came from, other than that it happened. The kiss he shared with Orion was sweet, relieving as Orion’s hands lifted to cup Norwin’s cheeks. 

“A true love’s kiss,” Orion whispered, hardly a breath as he slowly parted from Norwin.

And so it was, a happy ending. One of the first that Norwin could say he successfully had written.

For outside of tragedy, for outside of the hells he’d experienced, there was _finally_ a light.


End file.
